Butts -To foil or not to foil?

[flash]

On the surface yes, in the interior, no.

 

[bbq engineer]

No foil...love the bark.

No mop, spritz with apple juice and maybe apple and Cap't Morgan - except most of that makes it down my throat instead of on the butt...(you might say marinating the pig instead of basting the pig).

 

[erain]

another one of these no wrong answer deals.... i pretty much agree with what everyone says to a point. i do foil mine at 160-170 deg. by this time i have built up a great bark and do not loose it in the foil period.

usually will go into the stall at around 150 degrees, and in my opinion you let it ride out, the stall is the period where the connective tissues are breaking down and is necessary to have some nice tender pulled pork. so i dont foil til after the stall has passed.

with that said i am still interested in your results and may have to give that a try as well. one of the best things i have learned is dont rule anything out until you have tried it first hand!!! lots of interesting feedback in this thread.

 

[rivet]

I would hesitate to mop with italian dressing just cause it always seems too salty for me and I love salt! When I make PPB, the only thing I spritz with is pulp free orange juice (pulp clogs the gun). It adds just the right stuff.

 

[ngasmokehead]

So, if you do foil.....shiny side in or out?

 

[buckeye024]

I know you were joking, but interestingly, I saw a "How its made" episode about foil. The shiny side is caused by the foil sheet rubbing against another foil sheet as it is squeezed through a roller in the last few thinning processes. They double up the sheets in the last few roller-presses, sending them through 2 at a time. Other than that, the manufacturer said there is absolutely no difference in which side is in or out during cooking. I never knew that.

 

[dexter]

After all of this good info. I guess I need to go pick up a few butts. !!!!!!

 

[smokinatthebeach]

My second butt that I did, I went all the way no foil....it was a 7 pounder and took 13 hrs.....however, about 5 hrs into it I did bump the temp up to 250 and let it cook......I was proud of it!!! I have the MES and I only smoke 3 full wood loaders of whatever wood I am using and thats it!! It seems to penetrate all the way through!!! I am goin to do 2 BB for a Fri nite BBQ!!! I will post pics!!!

 

[shriv]

I normally go no foil but when it reaches 195 I foil it, wrap in towels and throw it in a cooler until I am ready to pull it. Do you think it hurts the bark? I think it does add to the moistness of the pork.
Shriv

 

[tasunkawitko]

yep. that's what i also do and nope, it don't hurt the bark. only difference is that i push it up just a bit higher - never more than 205.

>>>I assume you must mop pretty regularly near the end.<<<

actually, my understanding is that the mop is more critical near the beginning, due to the fact that the pork isn't making its own juices yet. after a few hours into the smoke, mopping is not as critical because the pork (even if the fat cap is removed) is pretty much basting itself.

having said that, i mop starting about an hour and a half into the smoke and keep doing it until i run out of mop or until the smoke is done.

 

[herkysprings]

I foil at 170, or at last when the temp is climbing decently again. Basically the idea is to slow cook through most of the connective tissue break down, but to avoid drying out the meat, and making a long cook time by opening / spraying.

I think the other key is to pull the meat and let is soak up the juices. I pull "thumb" sized pieces or so, and usually toss / rest the meat until it has soaked up all the juices / sauce.

 

[travcoman45]

165° foil, 195° pull an cooler.

 

[got14u]

I have foiled most of my butts....I do like the bark and was considering pulling the foil around 195 or so and taking it to 205 with no foil. maybe get the bark the way i like it. firm and crispy. and gentle men try pineapple if you do foil or put in a pan for awhile...

 

[gruelurks]

I smoked a butt last night, here is what it looks like today at 185 without being foiled. I have to say that the bark on an unfoiled butt looks a LOT better than one that's foiled at 165 or so. I still plan to foil and cooler it for the trip to Flint, MI. today for the father in law's birthday.

 

[pignit]

This is one of those things that makes your pulled pork YOUR pulled pork. The way you do it. I have smoked two butts together, one foiled, one unfoiled and they both turned out great. The bark on the foiled butt was softer but they were both delicious and I didn't really see a noted difference as to choose one over the other. I foil any meat that I'm going to leave on the smoker for an extended amount of time. Sometimes I will head to bed and foil a butt, or brisket and set the MES on 210 and forget about it. I pull it out when I get up and as long as it sits on the 210 mark and is foiled, it comes out nice and juicy. My opinion is the butt has plenty of fat and isn't going to dry out unless you cook it to death. I don't think your gonna do that at 225 - 250 to 195. I'd be more prone to foil the brisket to add and retain juices. Either way it's all good...